The Delhi Assembly Opposition leader AAP senior member Atishi on Tuesday, in defense of the recently-aborted excise policy, brought forth a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report. She alleged that the old liquor regulatory regime in Delhi was riddled with corruption and smuggling which was targeted to be destroyed by the new policy.
The CAG’s performance audit report, entitled “Performance Audit Report on Regulation and Supply of Liquor in Delhi,” was in the first session of the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday, launched. The report highlighted significant lapses in the excise department, resulting in revenue losses exceeding Rs 2,026.91 crore. The conclusions of the paper have provided ammunition to the ongoing political clash between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of the liquor policy.
Atishi’s Claims Against the Old Excise Policy
Speaking to the press after the submission of the report, Atishi claimed that the former excise policy helped illegal liquor smuggling and corruption. She stated that liquor shop owners engaged in unethical practices, such as inflating prices and misusing their licenses, causing severe financial losses to the Delhi government.
Atishi noted that seven of the eight chapters in the CAG report highlighted the errors in the earlier excise policy, whereas only one chapter dealt with the new policy being implemented by the AAP government.
AAP government had repeatedly reflected on corruption issues of the former policy in excise. The CAG report confirms that the old system enabled liquor shop owners to exploit loopholes and engage in unlawful practices, leading to a significant drain on Delhi’s exchequer,” Atishi said.
She also stated that the current excise policy introduced by the AAP government was meant to promote transparency and generate revenue. According to Atishi, such an excise policy was also imposed in Punjab which increased the state’s revenue from liquor sales more than 65%. She argued that, if implemented properly, Delhi could have seen similar financial benefits.
Allegations of Political Interference
Atishi accused the BJP-appointed Lieutenant Governor (LG), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of obstructing the implementation of the new policy. She stated that these agencies deliberately made the process complex to prevent the policy from being implemented effectively.
The BJP’s Lieutenant Governor stopped the policy implementation already, putting undue inconvenience. The CBI registered an FIR within one year of the enactment of the policy and the ED set in motion soon an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR). This led to a situation where government officials became hesitant to sign or execute any part of the policy, fearing legal repercussions,” she alleged.
Atishi argued that these obstructions directly resulted in a revenue loss of Rs 2,000 crore in the short term and an annual loss of Rs 8,900 crore, which Delhi could have earned had the policy been fully implemented.
She called for a deep probe into the LG, CBI, and ED’s role in allegedly putting a lid on the excise policy, and their intent behind halting a policy, which AAP says was put together to rid the system of corruption and enhance state earnings.
Political Flashpoint Between AAP and BJP
The excise policy issue has remained a significant political controversy in Delhi, with both AAP and BJP using it to target each other. While AAP leaders continue to argue that the policy was intended to reform the liquor trade and boost revenue, the BJP has repeatedly accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led government of corruption and financial mismanagement.
The BJP stated that the newly introduced excise policy was full of irregularities and formed a deliberate scheme to favor a handful of the liquor traders. The party has also accused AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, of being involved in corrupt dealings related to the policy, leading to high-profile arrests and ongoing investigations.
In the meantime, AAP has continued to claim that the BJP has been using central investigative agencies, such as the CBI and ED, to harass opposition leaders and quell political dissent. Atishi’s statements on Tuesday reinforce this narrative, as she accused the BJP of using political influence to prevent a policy that could have benefited the public.
CAG Report and Future Debates
The CAG report findings are set to fuel another round of discussion in theDelhi Assembly. Since the BJP now has the executive in place, proceedings in the legislature will likely see discussions about the Excise policy to come up on the top of the agenda.
While the AAP counters its policies and alleges that the BJP is politically motivated, the next few days will be marked by intense disagreements between the parties. In contrast, the BJP is expected to exploit the report to back its opposition to AAP’s policy on liquor and to emphasize what it describes as the dysfunctions of the policies of the outgoing government.
The excise policy battle is far from over, with both sides gearing up for prolonged confrontations in and outside the Assembly. The issue is likely to continue acting as a point of tension in the political fabric of Delhi, with implications on potential elections and governance in Delhi itself.
(Input from PTI)
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